The present invention relates to the preparation of printing plates and more particularly to the automatic processing of undeveloped sensitized printing plates.
There is presently known in the printing art apparatus for preparing planographic offset printing plates used in the lithographic printing process. Generally, automatic processors are known which receive the developer plates at one end and transport such plates in a horizontal direction through developer and scrubbing stations where a developer solution is applied over the exposed surfaces of the plates. The plate is discharged from the apparatus at an end located opposite to the entry end. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,808 issued, on May 16, 1973 to Robert C. Graham. While the horizontal type of plate processors have been widely used because they provide automatic processing in a uniform and time saving manner, there still exists a need for processors which do not require the table space associated with the horizontal processors, and which provide increased conservation of the developing solutions.